Florida's Prison Population Appears To Be On Decline

“Right now, we’ve got about 96,700 inmates,” said David Ensley, the Chief of Research and Data Analysis for the Florida Department of Corrections. “That’s down from…we were over 102,000 in late 2010. So, the population has decreased in recent years.”

And, Prison Chief Julie Jones says that prison population decline can be attributed to a number of factors.

Florida Department of Corrections Secretary Julie Jones speaking to members of the House Criminal Justice Subcommittee Wednesday.

Credit Florida Channel

“We have sheriffs,” she said, speaking before the House Criminal Justice Subcommittee Wednesday. “We have individuals in communities that are actively trying to use supervision in lieu of incarceration. We have the legislature passed for the Department…starting several years ago, we piloted alternative sanctions, which means if you’re on probation, we’re going to give you several bites at the apple and give you intense supervision. And, if you violate a technical violation, we’re not going to send you back to prison. We’re going to send you back to court.”

For example, Jones says if a technical violator of probation is sent back to court, her prison agency will ask a judge to get the inmate into some sort of program.

Still, a recent study states probation violations account for 15 percent of Florida inmates going back to prison.

Two former Jefferson Correctional officers are now facing charges of official misconduct and unlawful compensation, following their arrests last month. An investigation found they smuggled in contraband and had inappropriate relations with inmates.

WFSU is Public Media, PBS, and NPR for Northern Florida and Southern Georgia